This easy Italian Pasta Salad Recipe is one of my favorite summer cold pasta salad dishes. It is so easy to make and it is perfect for making ahead of time for potlucks, BBQs, or a week-night dinner. Your favorite pasta noodles, veggies, and mozzarella cheese tossed in Italian dressing for an easy pasta salad recipe.
Cold Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
Cold Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing is an easy to make Italian pasta salad recipe that is loaded with veggies and has a zesty Italian dressing giving the perfect balance of flavors.
Pasta salads are a staple in our house during the summer. I can make a few different ones up at a time and then serve them for dinner. Many times dinner during the summer is something on the grill or cooked in the crockpot because I don’t like to heat up the house during the summer.
Not only do I not like to heat up the house, but I also do not like to spend the time cooking when there is more fun things that I could be doing like hanging out with the kids in the backyard or going on a hike. So to keep things easy during the summer I make sides that will last us a few days, then each night we grill a meat and dinner is super easy.
Normally we make pasta salad as a side dish for dinner, but I must tell you that this Italian pasta salad also makes an amazing lunch!
Variations of Cold Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
One of the great things about this Cold Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing recipe is that you can change things up with what you have on hand. I always keep cucumbers, string cheese, and roasted red peppers in my fridge and pantry. I am sure you have already noticed that with all of our other pasta salad recipes.
Meats: Change things up by adding grilled chicken, salami, pepperoni, bacon, or ham will all work well with this cold pasta salad recipe. Just chop the pieces small before adding them to your pasta salad with Italian dressing.
Veggies: I love cucumbers and tomatoes in my cold pasta salad recipes. But you can add different veggies to change things up and use what you have on hand. The more colorful the better I say when it comes to making this Italian Pasta Salad recipe. Fresh veggies including, bell peppers (orange, red and green), red onion, carrots (thin sliced), and broccoli are all perfect veggies for pasta salad. I also like canned veggies including black olives, artichokes and roasted red peppers when making cold Italian pasta salad.
Pasta. When making pasta salad I like using either rotini pasta, the tri color pasta is also perfect for adding more color to this easy pasta salad recipe. If you do not have either of those on hand you can use whatever small noodle you have on hand.
Cheese. I use string cheese because it is much easier to chop up when I am trying to get things done quickly. You can use blocked mozzarella cheese but be sure to chop it into small pieces. If you want to change up the cheese crumbled feta will also work well in place of mozzarella cheese in Italian pasta salad.
Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes
- Chickpea Pasta Salad
- Pasta salad with tuna
- Egg Salad Macaroni Salad
- Sundried tomato pasta salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad
Tips for Making the Perfect Cold Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
Don’t over cook the pasta. It is important to not over cook the pasta. Cook just until al dente and then drain them and then cool the pasta while in the strainer with cold water until all of the pasta is cooled. This will prevent a soggy pasta salad.
Cool the pasta completely. Just like over cooking pasta will give you a mushy pasta salad, so will noodles that are not cooled all the way. As soon as they are done cooking you want to shock the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Chop the veggies (and meat) small. Pasta salad is best when the veggies and meat if you are adding any are chopped small. This gives more veggies and more flavor in each bite of this pasta salad with Italian Dressing.
Let pasta salad sit before serving. You can serve this pasta salad immediately after making it however I find pasta salad is best when it has time to sit in the fridge and all of the flavors are able to mix together. Letting the pasta salad sit for a few hours before serving results in a more flavorful and delicious Italian pasta salad!
What to serve with Cold Italian Pasta Salad
This Italian Macaroni Salad is perfect for a meal at home when you are grilling or if you are going to a group picnic and need something amazing to bring with you!
There are lots of great main dishes and side dishes that go along well with this easy macaroni salad recipe. Check out some of our favorites dishes that we make when we are having this cold macaroni salad. Seriously anything that you cook on the grill will work perfectly with this cold Italian pasta salad recipe.
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Steaks
- Chili Lime Chicken
- Bacon Wrapped Scallops
- Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
Can you make pasta salad ahead of time?
So this is one of my FAVORITE things about pasta salads, aside from the fact that my whole family loves them. I can make a pasta salad and double or triple the recipe and have it as a side dish for dinners for a few nights. My kids also love eating pasta salad for lunch, so I like to make pasta salad and keep it in the fridge for them to have an easy lunch.
How Long will Italian Pasta Salad Keep in the Fridge?
As long as you store this easy pasta salad recipe properly, it will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to store it in an airtight container, like the rubbermaid containers after you have served it for dinner or if you are making it ahead of time.
What is the best pasta to use for pasta salad?
The main ingredient for this easy tuna macaroni salad is pasta and a shortcut of pasta like fusilli, penne, bow tie, elbow macaroni, or farfalle works best. You can use any type of pasta including whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta, or any other legume-based pasta you like.
Italian Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Pasta
- Mozzarella cheese sticks – 5 ounces of mozzarella cheese if you are using a block.
- Cucumbers
- Roasted red peppers
- Black olives
- Wish-bone Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salad Dressing or your favorite Italian dressing.
- Cherry tomatoes
How to Make Italian Pasta Salad
Cook your pasta according to the box and drain. Immediately run cold water over it while it is still in the strainer to cool the pasta.
Wash veggies and chop into small pieces.
If adding meat chop into tiny pieces.
Cut cheese into tiny pieces.
Once pasta is cooled pour into a large bowl and pour salad dressing on top of pasta.
Add chopped veggies, cheese and meat.
Mix everything well so all ingredients are covered with the salad dressing.
Serve immediately or store in an air tight container in the fridge.
Looking for more cold summer side dishes? Check these out!
- Asian cucumber Salad
- BLT Salad Recipe
- Best Chicken Salad Recipe
- Classic Egg Salad perfect for making Egg salad lettuce wraps
- Broccoli salad with bacon
- Loaded potato salad with Bacon
Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta noodles
- 5 ounces mozzarella cheese 5 string mozzarella cheese sticks if using them, or block of mozzarella cheese cut.
- 4 cups diced cucumber 2 cucumbers
- 15 ounces jar roasted red peppers
- 6 ounces canned black olives
- 15 ounces Italian dressing
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to the box and drain.
- While your pasta is cooking prep the rest of your Italian pasta salad ingredients.
- Wash the cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. Cut the cherry tomatoes and cucumbers into small pieces and set aside. Drain black olives and slice them.
- If you are adding any meats cut them into bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Cut the pieces of mozzarella string cheese or block of cheese into bite sized pieces.
- When pasta is done cooking, drain in a strainer and run cold water over it while it is still in the strainer to cool the pasta completely.
- Once pasta is cooled pour into a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the salad dressing on top of the pasta.
- Add in the chopped veggies, meats and cheese.
- Mix well to be sure everything is coated.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an air tight container.
Comments & Reviews
Cherri Megasko says
I always use #Wish-Bone Italian dressing and seasoning mix for my pasta salad with my own EVOO. I love doing that because I can control the amount of seasoning by adding more or less of the packet. (I tend to like my pasta salad very highly seasoned.) But I’ll give this a shot. I’ve always been a fan of Wish-Bone products!
lisa says
I haven’t seen these yet, but I have to find them! They sound like great summer salad dressings!
Kori says
We love pasta salad, especially during the spring and summer. I’ll definitely have to keep an eye out for this when we make our next batch.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
I must find these! I haven’t seen them in my store yet, but I’ll get major use out of them. My husband will, too. He marinades his meat in these types of dressing before he grills.
Up Run For Life says
This sounds like the perfect side dish for that summer picnic or get together. You could even add cut up pieces of chicken to make it a full meal.
Tatanisha Pitts-Worthey says
What a good looking salad! The extra virgin olive oil sounds amazing, I need to get my hands on those. I need that in my kitchen!
Kathy says
That looks really good. I’m always looking for new ideas for pasta salads. They’re some of my favorites to make because they’re always so simple and delicious!
Julie Syl Kalungi says
I can thrive on salads! All these flavors sound delicious. I love the Wish Bone brand.
Travel Blogger says
I make a very similar pasta salad, in fact its my go to when I’m at a pot luck, that’s always such a big hit!
Jamie says
Yum! I had no idea Wishbone had an EVOO dressing, let alone several! I love pasta salad and dressings like this are perfect!
Angela Kanellopoulos says
omg this looks amazing! I never even heard of those dressings before but the salad lover in me must try them out!
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen says
I am such a huge fan of pasta salads too. Love your recipe. I’ll check out our local supermarket to see if there’s a wishbone dressing here with olive oil.
CourtneyLynne says
Omg all of these dressings sound fantastic!!!!! Immgiung to have to look for hem next time I’m out grocery shopping!!!
Kim says
We reallly enjoyed this pasta salad. It’s just the two of us and I made half the recipe and we still had plenty for leftovers. My Italian husband said it was delicious.